Red Panther of the West
by KuroniAkuma
Summary: Rikugou has been found by Teiten, resolving a new blank page in Amatsuki. This time a female, Riane, lives with Bonten as a personal guard. What will happen to Amatsuki when Riane can’t stand her new boss.


**The New Job**

What should have been a normal intern, became a trip back to the past, a trip to find one self in each other. A trip to see who is really moving my own body, is it my mind or my soul, which moves me around, which makes the choices. Who is starting to fall for her own damned boss. Nothing sounds as it seems. My story begins neutral, not knowing what I should do, or supposed to do. Wandering around towns, asking for jobs, even the smallest jobs were sufficient enough for me to survive. Fortunately for me, is my skills, as a swordswoman, back at home being the captain of the first division national team. Being national champions since last year. Without those skills, even I don't know how long I would be able to hold on here. These damned males are way to perverted for their own good. Now they should now better. With this Asian girl cannot be messed around with. Though to every normal happening should come to an end. For me this ends when I met a certain man.

Yamashita Riane a twenty-year old student. Learning everything about the Japanese country, culture and history. Her red-brown hair fell down just above her shoulders. Her bangs covered her right eye slightly. Her golden-brown skin glowed like the morning sun, when the light touches the tips of her own skin. With a impatient, tomboyish but serene character she enters a world, 500 years prior to her own.

'So according to that old man the ayakashi should be hiding over here.' Riane looked around. 'Though all I see are some damned feathers.' Riane bends to her knees picking one of the feathers.

"So you are the new Hakushi mono, the princess may have found you wandering here, though it seems I am the one who is able to meet you first." A fairly low voice echoed through the forest. The wind rustles all the leaves of the trees, making it as if the wind is talking to Riane. "Though I am surprised as well, previously we had two males, so how are you going to do here?" The voiced spoke again.

Riane put her guard up, holding the hilt of her sword. "Who are you! Show yourself!" She waited, unsheathing her sword, waiting until somebody to show up.

"You'll meet me soon enough. Though I shall give you my name. Bon from the awakened one and Ten from the heavens. Bonten. Hakushi mono, it was a pleasure to meet you. Soon we'll meet each other again." The voice disappeared, as the sound of a departing bird echoed through the forest. Soon the wind calmed down as well, Riane sheathed her sword.

"Don't worry , I'll remember you, your voice that is…" She put the feather she picked up earlier in her pocket. Walking further, deeper into the forest.

Even though it sounds strange, for the time that I have been here, I kind of liked it more than back home. The people are more caring, while back home. It was more, you had to be strong if you want to survive, survive all the eyes of the civilians surrounding you. Without a mask to go outside, a weak person will not survive one second. Though living with a mask 24/7 gives you the idea, who is the real me? One question I kept on asking myself over, and over again. A week has already past, somebody who does not belong here, finds her resolve in a place where the traditions are still close to the humans. Were gods, myths, demons, shrines and monks are the one where people find their own believes. To be honest, everything is better than back _there_. Though there is one thing I am wondering about, that Bonten fella said something about the Hakushi Mono. Just what kind of crap is yabbing? The blank page. At school this is what I haven't heard of.

Riane left the matters aside, taking a break from it all, in the middle of the forest she stops at a large oak tree, placing her katana in front of her chest, holding it close to her. She closed her eyes. 'You know, I do wish I had a place to sleep, instead of outside here.' She closed her eyes, swiftly she fell asleep.

Slowly the sun setted the colour of the sky turned to deep blue, as the night came and covered the wide landscape. Without realizing Riane disappeared from the forest, reappearing back to a tower like building. Without noticing anything, she keeps on sleeping. A thud echoed through the upper part of the building. Warning the creatures living in the tower.

"Tsuyukusa, that sound…" A large tengu came outside, curiously he looked outside wandering what might made the sound.

"A guest, sort of…" Tsuyukusa answered. He looked over to the large tengu, then back to Riane.

"A human! How did she got here?!" The tengu started to freak out, as he walked back and forth, his feathers rustled. When a harder sound startled the two, both stood still knowing, who the person is they woke up.

"Seriously, Utsubushi, how many times to I have to tell you not to rustle your feathers when I try to sleep! I damn noisy!" Bonten walked angry to Utsubushi pulling at his feathers, hoping it would get trough it's thick head.

"But, Bon, a human just broke through the barrier, do you expect me to stay calm…" Utsubushi explained, hoping Bonten would let go of his feathers.

"A human you say, where?" Bonten walked shoved the tengu away, finding Riane sleeping softly on the floor. Immediately, he recognized Riane from the forest. Her red-brown hair were the high-light of the night. "Bring her inside, she is here now." Bonten said at last. Returning back inside, entering the square room.

Utsubushi did as told, gently he picked up Riane, carrying her to Bonten, who was waiting in the middle of the room. Tsuyukusa grabbed Riane's katana, when Utsubushi placed Riane in front of Bonten, he followed Tsuyukusa with his eyes, the young boy placed the katana next to Riane.

"Leave, I got some unattended business with her…" Bonten said slightly annoyed.

"Bon, what do you intend to do with the human girl? Utsubushi meddled.

Annoyed Bonten turned around, giving a some what death glare to both men. Tsuyukusa sighed, placing his hand behind his head. Not really giving it much thought, he simply left the room. Utsubushi nodded, knowing Bonten would pull out all of his feathers if he stayed any longer.

Bonten waited for a while. Waiting until he was certain that his subordinates truly left the premises. "So we meet again…"

Riane slept for a couple of hours, noticing the warmth from the room, carefully opening her eyes, wondering where she ended, when the environment she was, had this warmth. 'Huh, where did I end this time? I am sure that I slept in the forest. This looks like a traditional tower. Who found me in the forest?' Opening her eyes a bit more, she saw the room she was in better. The wooden square shape is what she saw. The next thing she noticed, her stuff, next to her, within hand reach. As Riane slowly tried to get her katana, she noticed the most important thing for the last. Bonten. Quickly she regained her consciousness, getting up, pointing the blade to the blonde male. Unsheathing her sword, not trusting anything of the man in front of her. Bonten plainly watched her, following her every move.

"This time we meet face to face is it not?" Bonten began.

Riane reacted surprised, recognizing the fairly low voice back from the forest. "You… You are from the forest…" She said. She sheathed her sword, holding the scabbard, as her guard dropped a little bit. "Bonten was it…" Riane said doubtfully. "I got some questions for you and if you have paid any attention is the forest, you know that I am not very patient."

Bonten sighed. "My, my, such furious eyes. Though I am glad you remembered my name, without knowing my face."

"I told ya so, I remember you. Your voice… to be more exact." Riane smirked. "Now, back to my questions… First what is this Hakushi mono you mentioned earlier?"

Bonten didn't say anything, the room turned slightly darker, grey-black feathers fell down out of the thin air. Riane looked confused, she turns around 360 degrees to see everything what is happening in the square room. Finding the room had disappeared in the darkness. She glanced over to Bonten, shocked she saw the wings wide open. Grey-black feathers, same colour as the one that fell out of the air.

"Tengu…" Riane whispered softly. Still in shock she kept on looking to the wings. 'I've heard about them in myths, never thought I would meet one up close.'

"Now we can talk all we want without Teiten, interfering or eavesdropping us." Bonten crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Teiten, who hell is that?" Riane asked confused.

"Perhaps, you'll understand if I explain this way" Bonten stuck up 2 fingers. "The world you are now in is called Amayo no Tsuki, or Amatsuki. It is far different from you are used, the princess calls it Higan."

"Higan, as in Nirvana according to the religious over here?" Riane filled in. "If you want to know I noticed a week ago I ain't home. So let me get this straight. My home town, is in what you guys call Higan and this place is Amatsuki."

"Very good. Now up to the next lesson. In this world there are four people who are gifted by powers granted by god. Teiten, Kokuten, Bonten and Gyouten. Those four determine the lives of the living. Ayakashi and humans." Bonten explained further.

"Hold your horses, pretty boy, you expect me to believe that you are one of the four. Don't make me laugh. Get serious!" Riane mocked, annoyed of the arrogance coming from the male tengu.

"Oh, but I am serious, very serious." Bonten said calm. "Hakushi mono, you are the only one who is granted by a rare power which is the same as Teiten. The other three holy ones are very interested in the power you carry, if you stay with one of these three, they will give you their total attention. Though the princess of the shrine Ginshu, or Gyouten is as well after your powers for her own motives." He continued.

Riane held up one hand, pausing Bonten in his so-called lesson. "Hold up, this Hakushi Mono what is that?" She asked.

"Hakutaku, or Hakushi Mono, is someone who cannot be seen by Teiten, but holds the same power as Teiten. The Blank Page. You are somebody who doesn't belong in this world, so your fate hasn't been decided. Teiten cannot see you, someone who is blank regarding it's fate."

Riane became more impatient with the minute, as more unknown words came out of the tengu's mouth. She pointed her sheathed sword to Bonten. "Is there a way to go back? As you can see I am loosing patience over here, so you better give me an understandable and easy answer right now…"

Bonten chuckled. "Very brave indeed, not knowing where you stand, though you still raise your sword to me." He marked. "You know, I don't mind wilful people, arrogance however is a different thing."

'Look who is talking' Riane thought. 'If somebody is arrogant in this place, it is you!'

"Though there is a way to go back to Higan. To return to Higan you should kill the princess, or do you wish to stay here and protect this place, if you choose the latter, then I will follow only you." Bonten finished.

'The Blank page… Tengu… Ayakashi… Teiten…The Princess… Amatsuki and Higan… So many things to choose to write my report. Though to go back I need to get rid of this princess. Is he referring to this Ginshu or some other high person? Seriously who on earth is he, if I have to believe him, he is one of the holy ones. Bonten. A tengu, a demon bird.' Riane lowered her sword.

"Do you understand everything I have said, Hakutaku." Bonten lowered his voice, glancing over to Riane, wondering whether she had understood everything he had said up till now.

"Generally yes. Though I don't believe some things you say." Riane answered.

The wings on Bonten's back disappeared, as the room turned lighter, back as it was before the feathers fell out of the air. "Soon you will have to choose between things. Meanwhile I will make sure you blend in this place here…" Bonten couldn't finish his sentence, as Riane interrupted him.

"…In return, I'll give you 24/7 protection as a personal guard. From all your enemies. Or anyone who dares to harm you. If they want to get to you, they have to get me first." Riane said, placing her sword behind neck. She waited, observed Bonten's reaction, when she offered her own life to protect his.

"Bonten looked surprised. He smiled. "How can I be sure of 24/7 protection?" He asked.

Riane chuckled, smirking slightly, she put on an evil smile as she introduced herself. "Then I shall introduce myself properly. Captain of the first division of the national Kendo Club, Yamashita Riane. At your service. Bonten." Riane marked, she kneeled before Bonten as if she were already hired.

"If you are serious of being by personal guard, you need to fill in this place, the way you look now is as a mercenary." Bonten said. Indirectly agreeing to Riane's offer.

Riane got up. "Fine with me…." She said somewhat seductively.

And so, my real life began. My life here in Amayo no Tsuki.


End file.
